Liam Cronin appointed to lead new innovation role at NovaUCD
18 June 2025
Liam Cronin and Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact
Former RDI Hub CEO Liam Cronin has been appointment as the first Director of Innovation at University College Dublin.
In the role he will be responsible for managing the strategic direction of the University’s activities delivered through NovaUCD in the areas of innovation, knowledge transfer and commercialisation, enterprise development and consultancy.
“UCD has developed a strong track record of success in innovation and entrepreneurship, especially over the last 20 years since the establishment of NovaUCD, and it is a great honour for me to have been appointed to the new role of Director of Innovation at the University,” he said.
“My focus will be to ensure that UCD contributes to its full potential to Ireland’s national innovation ecosystem and to further enhance UCD’s leadership position and reputation in innovation.”
Liam is formerly the CEO of the (opens in a new window)RDI Hub, a non-profit partnership between Fexco, Munster Technological University and Kerry County Council, is designed to encourage and accelerate new products and services.
Over the last the five years, it has supported 100 start-ups and scaling companies, which have collectively secured more than €250 million, launched 70 new products and services, and created more than 430 jobs.
He has over 30 years’ experience working within both the public and private sector, and has previously held senior executive roles with Microsoft in Ireland and Western Europe and worked as the Commercial Director at ADAPT, the Research Ireland Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology at Trinity College Dublin.
As the new director of innovation at NovaUCD, Liam will collaborate with Government, state agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, as well as industry, commercial and societal partners.
Welcoming the appointment, Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said University College Dublin plays “a key leadership role in research and innovation and is at the heart of Ireland’s innovation and knowledge exchange ecosystem and I am therefore delighted to welcome Liam to UCD to take up this new position of Director of Innovation at the University”.
“I look forward to working with him to further drive the innovation agenda across UCD as outlined in Breaking Boundaries, the University’s Strategy to 2030, to enhance our leadership position in innovation, entrepreneurship and in the delivery of impact in the support of Irish and European industrial competitiveness.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Micéal Whelan, UCD Research and Innovation)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
